The Romantic Evolution of Platonic Interaction
by Weird Heart
Summary: What happens as friends get closer? What is inevitable, what is impossible, and is love always a wild card? How and when does science cross over into affection? A light-hearted, romantic Ferb/Isabella fanfiction where the gang has to search themselves and answer this question in all of their own lives: What is love?
1. Chapter 1

**Howdy, everyone. So, I've decided to go on blind faith and continue this story. I'm really hoping it turns out like I planned it. Then, here it is: the official first chapter of The Romantic Evolution of Platonic Interaction.**

"Ferb?"

He inclined his head towards her.

"What is love?"

The moment should have been a quiet one, but it was anything but. In the background, the noise of Candace and Jeremy's wedding reception was almost deafening. The two fifteen year olds were sitting at a table off to the side from the tireless exhilaration of the dancing, which had sucked in all of their friends- Phineas included.

Ferb thought about this for a while, and Isabella was patient.

"Love is when you will give anything and everything for one person without them even having to ask, but also to respect the space that you both need. Love is the greatest gift you can give to a person."

She processed this answer for a while, and then answered.

"Then I love you, Ferb."

He didn't have a chance to respond before she continued:

"I love you and Phineas and all of the Fireside girls and my mother and all of my friends. I just don't understand what makes certain love between two people is different. Candace and Jeremy love each other, that much is obvious. But Candace doesn't love him the way she loves you or Phineas."

Ferb shrugged.

"I suppose… that's what makes it an adventure. Not understanding, just knowing."

Isabella nodded and turned her attention back to the dance floor.

"Do you love someone, Ferb?"

Surprisingly, he responded right away,

"I don't believe I have enough experience to answer that question with any certainty."

Isabella nodded again.

"Fair enough. But you're probably wiser than any of us."

"That, Isabella, I highly doubt."

She simply smiled. At that moment, Phineas came rushing back to the table, glowing with exertion and beaming. In between heavy breaths, he said,

"You guys should join the party! You're missing all the fun!"

"I don't know, Phineas..." Isabella began hesitantly.

"Come on, Isabella! Come dance with me," Phineas insisted, but gently, his arm outstretched. Isabella touched her hand to her chest. She turned to Ferb, who nodded. Turning back to Phineas, she gingerly placed her hand in his. He pulled her up and they stepped out onto the dance floor.

Ferb watched them, and thought about his conversation with Isabella.

_Me, in love? It's an interesting notion, at the very least. _He gazed at the smiling pair as they glided across the floor to the slower music. Ferb cocked his head, raised an eyebrow, and then shook his head again, as if dismissing a new-found idea.

_An interesting notion indeed._

* * *

**First off, I'm sorry it's such a short chapter. This story will probably come off in a lot of quickly updated little chapters, but I'll try to make them as long as I can without rambling. With that said, I'm off to do stuff!**

**Remember,**

**To be odd is one of the greatest pleasures that life offers.**

**-Weird Heart**


	2. Chapter 2

It was the summer of 8th grade year, and the gang was getting ready to enter into high school. Needless to say, everyone was a little excited and a little nervous. In fact, it was the last week of summer, and the Flynn-Fletcher backyard was blown out with outrageous stunts and huge parties. It didn't really matter to Phineas or Ferb what they made, so long as each one topped the last.

So, it didn't surprise Isabella when she walked through the back gate to find something that was big, colorful, and possessed several ice cream cannons.

"Hey, Phineas! Hey, Ferb! Whatcha doin'?"

Ferb immediately looked up from what he was doing and gave her a nod. Phineas waved from an enormous ladder.

"Hey there, Isabella! We're just working on a long-range ice cream shooter!" Isabella smiled at him.

"Sounds great, Phin! Where do I start?"

"It'd be awesome if you could work the controls. Ferb'll show you how."

She jokingly saluted him.

"Yes, sir! I'm on it, sir!" With that, she jogged over to Ferb.

"So, Lieutenant Ferb, how do you work this thing?" she asked with a grin.

"Well," he began with quiet confidence, "this is just a model. The real thing is inside the operating system." He gestured to a spot on the giant tower.

As Ferb continued to explain, Isabella listened with great care. She had come to notice that when Ferb was forced to talk more than usual, his volume usually dropped greatly, although his self-assurance did not.

"Okay, Ferb. I got it. Thanks!" she declared when he had finished his instructions. He nodded at her and continued his work. As she practiced on the model, she looked around the backyard at the hubbub going on around her.

Baljeet was working with Phineas on final calculations and overseeing the construction. Buford… actually, she wasn't sure what Buford was doing. It appeared as though he was simply wearing a hard hat and hammering on one spot on the tower. Phineas was being Phineas, she decided. There wasn't really a better explanation for it. Ferb was right next to her on the ground, studying carefully the holographic model of the tower.

To be honest, Isabella didn't know what the purpose or benefits of a long-range ice cream shooter would be, but if her boys were building it, that was good enough for her.

She was tempted to watch Ferb as he worked, and without realizing it, she did. She watched him as he increased and decreased the size of the model, occasionally looking back at the real thing. He would hum now and then. Isabella could only guess what he was thinking about. This went on for a while before Ferb finally murmured,

"Do you need some help with the controls?" It was in no way condescending, but it made Isabella blush nonetheless. She had been caught.

"No." She turned back to the model. She wasn't sure what had possessed her to study Ferb. There was just a mystery about him that Phineas didn't have. She dismissed the thoughts and focused herself on memorizing the controls.

She couldn't be doing things like that. It was just weird. Ferb was her friend. That's it. It was Phineas who she loved.

That, she knew, wouldn't change.

Right?

* * *

If I have to speak to anyone, I'm glad it's Isabella. I know she'll listen, and she'll be patient with me. Most people pretend to be, but I know that they get tired of my silence. Phineas and Isabella are the only two exceptions. I couldn't be more grateful that I have those two, but sometimes watching them interact is the most incredibly annoying thing I could ever imagine.

I would really love to tell Phineas what's going on, but I know I can't. It's not my place, and if he doesn't realize it, then he's not ready. As hard as that is for me to accept, I stay out of it and hope someday soon Phin will finally wake up.

Until then, I'm happy to be there for Isabella as she vents her frustrations as well as Phineas as he grows. The funny thing is that I know Phineas is aware of love in a sort of detached way. He knows that it goes on and he's perfectly capable of understanding it, but when it comes to himself, it's never occurred to him. He encouraged the blossoming romance between Candace and Jeremy, Vanessa and I, Mishti and Baljeet, our aunt and uncle, even our parents. The list goes on and on. But whenever Isabella makes advances, he doesn't see them.

It's difficult to understand, and in fact I don't. I can't possibly begin to imagine what goes on in his head that he could be so blind to not only Isabella, but half of the teenage girl Danville population. He's fawned over constantly, and it makes me wonder how he doesn't notice it. It doesn't make sense. I would make it a point of asking him, but I'm not sure how to do it without bringing Isabella into it or just making it awkward.

It's certainly food for thought.

When I'm finished relaying the instructions to Isabella, I'm not surprised that I don't remember a word of what I said. I find that happens a lot to me. But apparently, something in the back of my brain stayed on track because she seems to understand everything I've told her. She thanks me and starts to practice on the model.

I activate the holographic scale model of the tower- something Phineas and I developed just a few months ago- and perform a detail check. About five minutes in I can feel Isabella watching me, but I wait until 10 minutes has passed before I say:

"Do you need some help with the controls?" I ask the question honestly, although I highly doubt that's what she needs. She looks away quickly, and mutters,

"No."

Since I'm usually the one observing everyone else, I don't think much of it. I guess I'm just better at being inconspicuous. I have had more practice at it, after all.

What I do wonder, though, is what she wanted to know. You have to have some motivation for studying someone. Usually I do it because I'm generally curious about human behavior, but I've never noticed that in Isabella. In fact, the only other person she's ever paid that much attention to is Phineas.

And that is the thing that _really _makes me wonder.

* * *

**There it is, chapter number 2 in all its glory! I gotta say, I loved this chapter because there was so much Ferb! This one was a little longer, perhaps to make up for the fact that I won't be able to upload anything for a week or so. Sorry about that, guys. The ice-cream tower was something I made up off the top of my head. Not sure it's P&F worthy, but it works for the story. ^_^ As you may have noticed, this story will probably jump around a bit chronologically. As always, I hope you all enjoyed! **

**Remember,  
**

**To be odd is one of the greatest pleasures that life offers.**

**-Weird heart**


	3. Chapter 3

Isabella surfed the web, head on her hand. It was after dinner and she hadn't known she had possessed the capacity to be so _bored_. The first day of school was tomorrow and she needed a distraction from her own thoughts. Right on cue, her computer blipped. She smiled gratefully and pulled up her instant messaging window. Glowing dimly, the words read,

_ Gretchen46231: Hey there, Chief. Ready for high school?_

Appreciation filled her. Gretchen always knew when something was bugging her. She thought for a moment before typing a response.

_ Isabella46231: Not sure, Gretch. There's just so much, you know? There's going to be a lot changing. I'm just not sure I'm ready for it._

_ Gretchen46231: Without change, we wouldn't have butterflies._

Isabella took comfort in the seemingly random comment. When she was younger, she had loved butterflies with everything she was. She loved that they were delicate, beautiful, and brave, and she had striven to be like them when she grew up.

Honestly, she wasn't sure how good of a job she was doing. She was still hanging onto Phineas, and if she was truthful with herself, she wasn't very subtle about it. She wanted to be delicate and graceful, but there was something about it she just couldn't find within herself. She knew she was bossy and that half the time she hung out with all boys. She had girl friends, but aside from Gretchen, she wasn't very close to them. Not like she was close to Phineas or Ferb. As for beautiful... just thinking about it could make her laugh. Beauty came with grace, which was a close synonym to delicate. Not only that, but her exterior was pretty ordinary as well. She hadn't found her figure like most girls her age, and the only thing that defined her as different than she was four years ago was a slight change in height and clothing choice. She was far from beautiful. She liked to think she was brave, taking on Buford and scaling cliffs, but she had no reason to be afraid when she was Phineas. She never went outside her comfort zone, which is where bravery would come in if she had any.

She still had a box full of butterfly posters, decorations, and drawings in her closet as a testament to the promise she had made to herself so long ago. She would be like a butterfly.

Her head was beginning to ache. She knew her shortcomings, and she was sick of thinking about them. She glanced back at the last message:

_Gretchen46231: Without change, we wouldn't have butterflies. _

She mouthed the first two words, ideas forming in her mind.

_Without change._

She was on the edge of a revelation that kept slipping away from her, she could feel it.

_Without change._

Bossy. Brokenhearted. Plain. Fearful.

_Without change._

Change.

Change.

_Change._

Suddenly, Isabella smiled slightly. It was time for something big.

_Isabella46231: You know what, Gretch? You're right. Thanks for the help._

_ Gretchen46231: That's what friends are for. :D Now, we should both get some sleep._

_ Isabella46231: Amen to that. See you tomorrow!_

Isabella half-consciously signed out. High school began tomorrow, and that meant a fresh start.

It was her turn to be a butterfly.

* * *

It was still barely dusk and I stood impatiently by the coffee maker. I have a habit of waking up early. It's not as though I don't enjoy sleep, I just enjoy silence more. And this morning I need silence more than ever. It's strange sometimes to remember that I don't think twice about drinking coffee these days. It's true, coffee is ever on the rise in popularity in England, but I suppose it never caught on with my father. I grew up with tea, and although I watched my mother- or stepmother, rather- drink coffee with regularity, I wasn't personally introduced to it until one year ago.

At that point, I was 13, nearly 14, and Candace was 19. It was the last week of summer and Candace was preparing to work the early shift at Antwoine's Flowers. Phineas had stayed up late the night before studying for the upcoming school year, and I, as usual, was up before everyone else.

Almost everyone.

Candace didn't normally go to work until 8 in the morning, but for some reason I don't remember, she was needed earlier. She asked me if I'd like to tag along- she insisted Antwoine wouldn't mind- and for multiple reasons I said yes.

For one thing, I'd never seen someone actually working up close and personal before, and I wanted to see what Candace had to do as a florist-in-training. That, and I'd be able to spend some quality time with my older sister, which I never got to do.

So, she left a note for our mother, then we climbed into her car and drove downtown. Soon she was pulling into the parking lot for The Coffee Shop, and I looked at her quizzically.

She glanced at me and chuckled.

"Little brother, I couldn't make it through a normal day without a cup of coffee, let alone working the morning shift."

I gave her a sort of smirk and followed her inside.

Immediately I was taken aback by the rich, dark smell of the brewing coffee. I turned a full circle to take in my surroundings: dim lighting, dark, earthy colors, and steam rising off the fresh pastries on the glass-covered shelves. I stood behind Candace as memorized words flew from her mouth:

"Medium double-shot mocha cappuccino with soy milk and whipped cream, please."

The man at the register typed in the order without hesitation. My sister glanced back at me with a thoughtful expression on her face, and then smiled mischievously.

"Can I get a one medium coffee, too? Make it the good stuff," she told the man with a smile.

"Coming right up, Candace," he replied with just as much cheer.

So he knew her name. She wasn't kidding when she said she drank it every day. It couldn't have been two minutes later when he pushed two cups marked Candace onto the counter.

"Thanks, Hank! See you tomorrow!"

"It's a date," he responded with a wink.

Candace smiled as we walked outside. The two had obviously become reasonably close friends over Candace's three working years.

As we stepped back into the car, I looked at the second coffee, and back up at her. I already had a good idea of why she had it, but I wanted to ask her anyway. Without even looking at me, she said,

"It's for you."

Ah. I thought so. Hesitantly, I picked up the cardboard cup. I wasn't at all deterred by the smell, but I was a little cautious nonetheless having watched my father turn his nose up at it for my whole life. Slowly, I put the cup to my lips as Candace pretended not to watch. The dynamic of the drink stunned me; something about the liquid was heavy, but smooth. And it was strong. There was no barrier of sugar or cream- which was, from what I understood, people normally added to their coffee- to keep me from the sharp blow of the bitterness. It was exotic and new, and I couldn't get enough of it.

And if I hadn't been awake before, then I was after that first sip.

Candace smirked as she watched me.

"I always thought you'd be a coffee person, Ferb." And with that, we drove off.

Ever since then, I can count the cups of tea I've drank on one hand, and it was only as a formality.

The buzz of my suddenly vibrating phone resonated in the quiet house and pulled me from my memories. I was back in front of the coffee pot in my pajamas again. Curiously, I glanced at the clock- still only 5 o'clock in the morning, and just barely. Who on Earth was texting me already? Although Phineas and I had certainly gained popularity throughout our elementary and junior high years, only Phineas or Isabella would be texting me at this time of day.

And it most definitely was _not _Phineas texting me- he would be down here if he was awake.

But it couldn't be Isabella. Whatever she wanted to say to me- or rather, say to Phineas- could wait until we were on our way to school in a couple of hours. With hesitation, I picked up the phone and unlocked it.

_ Hey, Ferb! _The words flashed on the screen. _Ready for the first day? I just wanted to tell you that I don't need a ride anymore, but thank you guys so much for offering. I'll see you at Danville High!_

This stirred up my curiosity. Even before Phineas and I became the only 15 year olds in the country with a graduated driver's license, she still rode to school with us in the station wagon. This was the first time since the first grade she was finding another way to school. Our "offer" to drive her had been more implied. This new development was certainly confusing, but I didn't have time to sort through possible answers in my mind. My thoughts were interrupted once again, this time by the dogged beep of the coffee machine.

Slipping into routine, I poured the coffee into my mug and sat at the dining room table. This was the second time this week Isabella had acted strangely. First when she got distracted during the building of the ice cream shooter, now this.

I already knew why she texted me rather than Phineas; she knew he wouldn't be awake for another hour. That question was easily answered. The real issues lied in the message itself. Why wouldn't she ride with us? Who _would_ she be riding with? Why was she so vague about the details?

Truthfully, I could say that it was none of my business. In fact, I would say that but for the fact I had known her almost as long as I've known Phineas.

I glanced back at the clock and nearly choked on my coffee. 6:05. Didn't the clock read 5 just a few minutes ago? I had let the minutes slip away. I rinsed my empty mug and placed it in the sink. Everyone would just now be waking up. I stole up the stairs and into the bathroom. I glanced in the mirror, running my fingers through my hair. Sighing, I padded back into the bedroom.

It was time to face high school.

* * *

**Good gracious, it's finally finished! You guys have certainly waited long enough. Maybe the length of this chapter can make up for the wait time a little. I hope I'm not overloading you all with Ferb. Not to worry, there will definitely be Phineas POV in the next chapter. Hm, what is Isabella planning? Only time will tell. That's all for now. Thank you for you patience and unending support! **

**Remember,**

**To be odd is one of the greatest pleasures that life offers.**

**-Weird Heart**


	4. Chapter 4

My alarm clock very rudely decided to interrupt my last few minutes of sleep before school began for another 9 months.

School… confining, time-constricting, not at all conducive to creativity, and completely limiting.

I can't stand it. During the summer, I can't wait to wake up and just brainstorm with Ferb, coming up with limitless ideas that have limitless potential. Now, it's the first Monday of many to come, and I have to sit through 8 straight hours of subjects I'm already well acquainted with.

You can see how that would be a little irritating. Ferb doesn't seem to mind it. Actually, he seems to look forward to it. I think it's because he's always liked having a plan whereas I'm more spontaneous. I can't stand the monotony of school day in and day out, but Ferb doesn't look at it the way I do. He doesn't look at it the way any of us do.

Sometimes, I wish he'd open up more to people who weren't me, Isabella, or family. Of course, if he did he'd never be left alone, and I think that's what holds him back.

Ferb is brilliant. There's no way around it. He's intelligent and wise and has unique perspective. However, it's very hard to get to a point where you start to see that in him. Everyone knows he's smart, but sometimes I feel like I overshadow him.

It's not like I have a big head, and believe me, overshadowing him is the last thing I want to do- I never do it intentionally. But it's the plain and simple truth that I've always been the outgoing one. The one to take charge over the group and give all the instructions.

Phineas and Ferb.

So often I find myself wishing that he'd just step up and take the limelight so that everyone else could see how incredible he really is and he could _stop _being "Phineas' brother".

I'll admit we used to share the spotlight a lot more often when we were kids, and I liked it that way. As we got older, though, Ferb found more purchase in the metaphorical backstage, whereas I never left that spotlight.

And now, we have to face high school and I find myself wondering if I'll be able to be that face of Phineas and Ferb that I've become. There are more challenges ahead for me- for both of us- than I typically like to recognize.

And this is all coming from me. Happy-go-lucky, carefree, optimistic me. It's kind of weird, but I know I've been entertaining thoughts like these for weeks, and there is no escaping your own mind.

I try not to let it show, though. Somebody has to insist that the glass is always half-full around here. If not me… then who?

* * *

I bounced impatiently in the backseat of Stacy Hirano's car, waiting with fervor to pull up in front of Danville High School. I sat in between Ginger and Gretchen, who apparently had been riding together to school since the 7th grade.

Maybe if I weren't so absorbed with Phineas, I would've figured that out sooner. When I had texted the girls last night to tell them about my plan, they had all been so excited. No more than 10 seconds after had I told them about what I wanted to do, we devised a plan- something we hadn't done since Operation Get Ginger and Baljeet Together in the 7th grade. Yeah, that one had been fun, but it had not yielded the results we'd hoped for. We were still working on it.

Now, there was a new mission to attend to, and it was _not _getting Phineas to notice me. It was getting me not to notice Phineas.

I wanted to turn over a new leaf, I really did. But for that to happen I was going to need help. I'll be the first to admit I wasn't always the nicest girl in junior high. But it's never too late to change, and to do so I needed some non Phineas-related influences in my life. Getting my mind off of him was the first step.

So, all six of the girls arrived at my house at 4:30 in the morning- _in the morning!_- to put our plan into action.

So, now, here I was, waiting to stun the world with my butterfly metamorphosis. After we had finished my transformation at 7, we went our separate ways to meet at school, and I stuck with Ginger and Gretchen to ride with Ginger's older sister, Stacy.

I tried not to think that this would be the first time in 5+ years I wasn't riding with Phineas and Ferb. I had been so unnaturally nervous when I texted Ferb this morning. I knew there should have been no real reason to be afraid. I was texting Ferb- calm, collected Ferb- to tell him I would not need a ride with him and Phineas today. Yet, there it was. That horrible, ugly fear mixed with what I have to admit was a good amount of guilt. I knew it was because I was telling my closest friend that I was basically ditching him with no real explanation. But I was more afraid of running into the brothers then I was of their reactions to my aloofness.

I was so afraid that one look at Phineas would make me lose my nerve. But then, I remember my friends and all they had done for me to help me through this. They were nothing but supportive. I had to do this, if not for myself, then for the people around me.

I guess you could say Gretchen really got me thinking when we spoke about change.

All of this tumbled around in my head until, finally, we pulled up in front of the high school.

"Good luck, girls," Stacy said from the driver's seat.

"Thanks, Stacy," we replied in unison.

As I stepped out of the car, the high school appeared to me so… big. I felt so underwhelming when I was surrounded by people who were fighting to find their own individuality.

What, exactly, had I thought made me so special? In any case, it was too late to back down now. I took a deep breath, gathered my confidence, and with Ginger and Gretchen by my side, strode into the building.

* * *

**I would like to personally thank each and every one of you for sticking around long enough to see the development of another chapter. I'm not the best with consistent updates, I know, so I really appreciate that you all are reading it. **

**Thank you so much for all of your kind reviews! They mean so much to me and remind me why I decided to start writing.**

**I'm not sure what kind of a response I'll get on how I chose to portray Phineas, but I want this story to be about growth. And, as we all have experienced and know all too well, with growth comes choices, and with choices come conflict, which is where Phineas is at right now.**

**On Isabella, I really wanted her to escape the stereotype she's made for herself in the show; desperately and relentlessly chasing after Phineas all the time. So, I humbled her a little by throwing her into high school and having her realize that she's not the only person on the planet, if only subconsciously. Hopefully that came through and I wasn't straying too far from her character. What I always try the hardest for in my stories is to not lose character integrity in the midst of plot, and I hope I'm following through with that. What I'm most worried about with Isabella is that I'm making her change too quickly. If you as a reader feel this to be the case, please say so. I always appreciate constructive criticism.**

**Thanks again for reading, and as always:**

**Remember,**

**To be odd is one of the greatest pleasures that life offers.**

**-Weird Heart**


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